Pleasure boats especially fishing boats have seen a dramatic increase over the past several years as a result of more leisure time being available for people who enjoy activities associated with water and water sports. At the same time, the price of boats has increased, as well. For example, the average bass fishing boat can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 which, as can be appreciated, is a very substantial investment. As a result, boat owners are motivated to protect their boats not only from the standpoint of use, but also from an investment viewpoint.
One of the problems associated with boat use involves the beaching of boats. The shoreline is dotted with rocks, and there are numerous opportunities to scratch or otherwise damage the hull of the boat when the boat is beached, as is common in picnicing, camping, trailering and in fishing tournaments. In the latter situation, boats are beached at fishing tournament weigh-ins. Because of the possibility of damage to the hull of the boat, some fisherman keep their boats off the shore in several feet of water, while a fishing partner leaves the boat in order to weigh the fish on the shore. At the present time, this is the only way that fishermen can keep the boat hull from being damaged. Scratches and other damage to the hull of a boat can greatly depreciate the trade-in or re-sale value of the boat, not to mention the unsightliness and the potential for interfering with the speed and/or operation of the boat.
There have been other protective hull safety covers developed in the past, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,233 which comprises a loose fitting cover or sheet that is draped underneath the entire hull of a boat to prevent water damage to a damaged boat when moving the boat. However, this patented device requires fastening completely around the boat and does not facilitate convenient use and storage, which would be desirable for a protective device during repeated boat beaching.
The present invention is a new and imroved protective boat hull device which overcomes many of the aforementioned disadvantages, while enabling the boat owner to enjoy the beauty and operation of his/her boat.